Faulty bath seal due to wall being wooden planks

Murmansk

I’ve been asked to address a leaking bath with shower above where water from the shower ends up going through the kitchen ceiling.

 The problem is that the wall to which the bath butts up is made of vertical tongue and groove boards which are damp and festering. In what I felt was likely to be a futile attempt to remedy this I applied a large amount of silicone sealant and of course it still leaks.

 It only needs a temporary fix as they’re getting a new bathroom so looks aren’t important.

 I’m thinking about some kind of arrangement a bit like flashing on roof where I install a “skirt” of plastic sheeting about 15cm wide so that no water gets to the place where it’ll penetrate the interface between the bath and the wall – but how to secure it and how to make it waterproof where it joins the planks?

ThisIsWeird

If these are T&G planks, then good chance the water is getting through each 'groove', in which case they are 'behind' the bath before it'll reach any flashing you put there.

This is all getting ripped out at some point soon? In which case I'd simply paint on a decent roof-sealer or similar, such as https://www.screwfix.com/p/thompsons-emergency-roof-seal-black-1ltr/87810

Won't be pretty, but hey  

There are other types of roof sealer, some fibre-loaded, and they also typically come in white and greys.

Murmansk

ThisIsWeird said:

If these are T&G planks, then good chance the water is getting through each 'groove', in which case they are 'behind' the bath before it'll reach any flashing you put there.

This is all getting ripped out at some point soon? In which case I'd simply paint on a decent roof-sealer or similar, such as https://www.screwfix.com/p/thompsons-emergency-roof-seal-black-1ltr/87810

Won't be pretty, but hey  

There are other types of roof sealer, some fibre-loaded, and they also typically come in white and greys.

That seems like a sound idea thanks, coincidentally a relative now tells me he solved a similar problem by installing a couple of sheets of white plastic held on with hybrid polymer and sealed at the corner joint, and where it meets the bath, with mastic. This is clearly a pricier option but might get the approval of the customer because it'll look far better.

ThisIsWeird

Yes, covering it like that will work, sealed on all four sides.
And, yes, it'll look better.
Don't go for clear plastic, because it'll likely start to look grubby behind it.

Murmansk

Clear plastic would look like one of those National Trust houses where they kind of have a "window" in a wall showing what it used to be like!!

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said: Don't go for clear plastic, because it'll likely start to look grubby behind it.

Using clear plastic does have the advantage that you can watch the mould & fungus grow.